YOU DECIDE: Should Election Day be a National Holiday?

Tuesday, November 5, 2024, is Election Day in the United States. People will be voting for a new president and vice president, along with members of Congress, and state and local issues and candidates.  Some voters will have already voted by mail or through early voting. Others will vote in person at their local polling stations on November 5.  

There are many ways to cast a ballot. Most states allow voting by absentee ballot, voting by mail, and in-person early voting. Voter turnout, however, continues to be low in the United States. In the 2020 presidential election, according to the Census Bureau, about 66 percent of eligible voters cast a ballot. Even though this was the highest turnout in the last 20 years, about one-third of all eligible voters did not vote. That 34 percent represents almost 41 million people!  In midterm elections when there is no presidential election, the number of participating voters declines. In 2022, about 52.2 percent of the eligible population voted in the midterm elections.  

On Election Day, while hours vary by location, polling places usually open early in the morning and remain open until 7 or 8 pm. Many voters must consider their work schedule or their caregiving responsibilities when finding time to vote on a Tuesday. Additionally, many individuals are needed on Election Day to operate a polling location. These paid volunteers are often retired people or workers who are able to take time off to check voter registrations and help with voting machines.  

In February 2024, California Representative Anna Eshoo proposed a bill in Congress known as the Election Day Holiday Act. If passed, this law would make Election Day a national public holiday, just like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Day or Memorial Day. It would give many Americans a paid day off from work and thus to eliminate another obstacle to voting.   

So . . . You Decide: Should Election Day be a national holiday? 

YES 

• Voter turnout might increase because people would not have to choose between having to work and having to vote. 

• There would be more people available to work at the polls because they would have the day off. 

• Election Day as a national holiday would promote the idea that democracy is important and should be celebrated. 

NO 

• Mail-in ballots must be postmarked by the U.S. Postal Service by Election Day. Since the U.S. Postal Service is closed on national holidays, the postmark deadline for these ballots would have to be shortened by 1 day.  

• Closed businesses, including elder cares and day cares, and modified public transportation schedules, would make it more difficult for voters to get to the polls. 

• It is unnecessary to make Election Day a national holiday. There are already numerous ways for people to vote if they are unable to make it to their polling location in person on Election Day.